CHICAGO VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

What CHICAGO VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION does

The Chicago Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1896 that serves veterinarians, certified veterinary technicians (CVTs), and veterinary students across the Chicago metropolitan area. The organization represents over 1,000 veterinarians and 4,000 support staff who collectively care for more than one million pets and their families in the region. CVMA's stated mission centers on advancing animal health through nurturing the human-animal bond, with operational pillars in continuing education, advocacy, member services, and public outreach (including the One Health initiative linking veterinary and human medicine).

CVMA's core product suite is anchored by CVMA U, a continuing education platform delivering RACE-approved courses (6 CE hours per successful completion) in both in-person and online formats, and by the AMO-powered membership management platform that hosts the member portal, online course delivery, and member directory. Complementary offerings include the monthly VetConnectChicago newsletter (distributed via Constant Contact), the public Find a Veterinarian directory for the Chicago area and suburbs, the Wings Pet Loss Support Group (virtual monthly meetings), the new CVT Program for certified veterinary technicians, and the Student Program for veterinary students. CVMA operates as an approved CE provider through AAVSB's Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE), which positions the organization inside a regulated national CE clearinghouse.

Revenue is generated through three streams: recurring membership dues from veterinarians, CVTs, and students; CE course fees with tiered pricing that materially discounts members versus non-members (e.g., $150-$225 per in-person course for member veterinarians versus $325 for non-members; $199 online for members versus $399 for non-members; $40-$55 for member CVTs and students); and sponsorship revenue from veterinary vendors, exemplified by Synergy Surgical's 2026 website and VetConnectChicago sponsorship. Distribution is community-led via the chicagovma.org website, email newsletters, social channels (Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Pinterest), and direct in-person CE events including the Brookfield Zoo venue partnership established for 2024 and beyond.

Name

CHICAGO VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

Legal name

Chicago Veterinary Medical Association

Website

https://chicagovma.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Chicago Veterinary Medical Association is a 130-year-old nonprofit membership association providing RACE-approved continuing education, advocacy, and member services to over 1,000 veterinarians, certified veterinary technicians, and students across the Chicago metropolitan area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Professional Association Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ)

Keywords

• Veterinary professional association
• Continuing education services
• Membership association services
• Veterinary advocacy services
• Professional development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Park Ridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for veterinarians, CVTs, and students providing access to member benefits, CE programs, newsletter, and professional network
2. CE Course Fees: In-person and online continuing education courses with tiered pricing for members vs non-members and different professional categories. Courses provide RACE-approved CE hours.
3. Sponsorship Revenue: Website sponsorship and partnership opportunities for vendors looking to connect with veterinary professionals

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CVMA is a nonprofit professional membership association that delivers RACE-approved continuing education through CVMA U (online and in-person), operates a monthly newsletter (VetConnectChicago), runs a Find a Veterinarian public directory, and provides advocacy, mental health, and pet loss support services for veterinarians, certified veterinary technicians, and students in the Chicago metropolitan area. The core sellable unit is the annual membership along with CE course registrations, both tier-priced by member status and professional category.

Product overview

CVMA operates a membership-based professional association providing continuing education, member services, and community programs for veterinary professionals in the Chicago area. The core offerings include CVMA U (a premier CE program with RACE-approved courses in face-to-face and online formats), the VetConnectChicago monthly newsletter, the membership management platform powered by AMO, the Find a Veterinarian directory, and various member benefits including government affairs advocacy, pet loss support, and public education initiatives. The CVT Program supports certified veterinary technicians with specialized education. Since 1896, the organization has served over 1000 veterinarians and 4000 support staff.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CVMA Membership
• CVMA U Continuing Education
• VetConnectChicago Newsletter
• Find a Veterinarian Directory
• Wings Pet Loss Support Group
• Government Affairs Advocacy
• CVT Program
• Student Program
• Public Education Program
• Pet Loss Support
• LinkShare Resource Directory
• CVMA Sponsorship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving over one million Chicago area pets and their families through member veterinarians
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Synergy SurgicalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Website sponsor for VetConnectChicago and Value-Added Member Benefit Partner. Synergy Surgical supplies premium sutures and OEM surgical devices for veterinary clinics with over 160,000 surgical devices from 150+ manufacturers.
• Partners for Healthy PetsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational initiative to promote preventive healthcare for pets. CVMA displays Partners for Healthy Pets branding and resources.
• Chicago Veterinary Medical Foundation (CVMF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNot-for-profit charitable organization developed to provide charitable veterinary medical care, education to the public, disaster planning for animals, and veterinary student scholarships. CVMF funds the Wings Pet Loss Support Program.
• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association representing more than 72,000 veterinarians. CVMA is affiliated and provides access to AVMA resources, RSS feeds, and professional standards.
• American Academy of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVMA is an approved provider of continuing education through AAVSB's Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE). RACE serves as the national clearinghouse for CE approval.
• Brookfield ZoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership established for 2024 for continuing education seminar venues. Members receive free admission to the zoo after seminars.
• Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association (ISVMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level association representing over 1800 Illinois veterinarians. CVMA works in coordination on issues affecting Illinois veterinarians.
• Midwestern UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloping Chicago College of Veterinary Medicine (CCVM) on Downers Grove Campus. CCVM leadership visiting veterinary clinics to share updates and hear from practitioners.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• VetMedTeam: Online-first RACE-approved continuing education provider for veterinary professionals. Directly competes with CVMA U's online course offering, though it lacks the membership association and local community aspects that anchor CVMA.

Broad incumbents

• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA): National professional association representing 72,000+ veterinarians. CVMA is affiliated with AVMA and shares overlapping mission, CE accreditation, and advocacy products; AVMA is the broad incumbent in the same membership/CE category.
• AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association): National accreditation and CE organization for companion animal hospitals. Comparable in producing RACE-approved CE and serving the same veterinary professional audience, though AAHA's primary focus is practice accreditation rather than membership dues.

Regional players

• Michigan Veterinary Medical Association: State-level veterinary medical association serving Michigan veterinarians. Highly comparable operating model (membership dues, CE, advocacy, public education) but operates in a different geography rather than competing head-to-head with CVMA in Chicago.
• California Veterinary Medical Association: Large state veterinary medical association with comparable membership, CE, and advocacy programs. Operates in a different geography but mirrors CVMA's mix of dues, CE courses, and government affairs as core revenue lines.
• Veterinary Medical Association of New York City: Metro-level veterinary association serving NYC veterinarians. Most structurally similar to CVMA in being a large-metro local association rather than a statewide body, making it a useful operational peer for dense urban veterinary markets.
• Texas Veterinary Medical Association: State VMAserving Texas veterinarians with a comparable dues/CE/advocacy model. Operates in a different geography but provides a useful benchmark for membership economics and CE pricing at scale.

Others

• Chicago Veterinary Medical Foundation: Affiliated charitable nonprofit arm of CVMA, providing charitable veterinary care, public education, disaster planning, and scholarships. Not a competitor but a closely related ecosystem entity that shares governance overlap with CVMA.
• Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine: Academic partner of CVMA developing the Chicago College of Veterinary Medicine (CCVM). While not a peer association, it is a strategic partner that generates the future veterinary pipeline CVMA depends on for student membership growth.

Direct peers

• Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association: State-level veterinary medical association representing 1,800+ Illinois veterinarians. Directly comparable to CVMA as a membership organization providing CE, advocacy, and member services, differing primarily in geographic scope (statewide vs. Chicago metro).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ChicagoVMA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPvdRLI8cr-xYmRJeSTe91Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/chicagovma
• Instagraminstagram.com/chicagovma
• Pinterestpinterest.com/ChicagoVMA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-veterinary-medical-association

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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